The Journey Home
by invisiblesplotch
Summary: The trains of Midgar hold a special significance for many.


All characters, including anonymous station master and random crowd are owned by Square

**Prologue**

A faint, familiar screech pounded against her temples, stirring up the same tiresome emotions of apprehension and longing. She had an uncontrollable urge to bolt, to leave this place far behind and prevent the despair that welled up in her chest, acting like a dreaded accompaniment to the melody of rattling shrieks that drew closer and closer.

The immaculately attired young woman attempted valiantly to quell the queasiness that now rose alarmingly in the pit of her throat.

To her immense horror, she heard herself letting out a strangled cry of desperation, somewhere between a sob and a choked wail. The kindly station master immediately rushed to her side as the small throng of people patiently gathered on the sidelines turned their glances towards her, mingled concern and curiosity in their stares.

She knew the eager, bearded station master well. He loved to banter with the crowd that would ubiquitously turn up, conversing jovially with everybody in turn. Even the occasional mind your own business glares of rebuttal had never seemed to dampen his vast spirits.

The amiable youngster had struck up a conversation with her the very first time she had been there, a time when her heart swelled with excitement, a time when she could match his camaraderie, a time when she still waited with an expression of fervent anticipation on her delicate features. He had told her about his own beautiful, picture perfect little family. He knew whom she was waiting for, as the days turned into a string of implausible hours where waking and sleeping were the same.

That keen look on her face had soon faded into a grim mask, but the station master had offered her an endless stream of comforting words, trying to keep her somber mood up with his incessant chatter and endless enthusiasm.

Now, espying the genuine concern written all over his cheery visage, she couldn't help but feel a mingled sense of gratefulness and anger.

She was dismayed by her own inability to reign in such blatant weakness on her part, and annoyed at how a man who hardly knew her was displaying such compassion towards her. She hardly felt that she deserved any kindness from a stranger, even though he might have taken it on his shoulders as his responsibility to look after the well being of everyone on the platform. And yet at the same time, she could sense in the worried emeralds of his eyes no condescension or hypocrisy, just a simple, unabashed sincerity towards his fellow Midgarese citizens. It had been a long time since she had seen such altruism in her blighted city, and there was nothing to do but to accept it, as hot tears pricked behind gentle lids, and it was all she could do to keep herself from crying.

"Miss Elmyra, 'Mam, are you alright? You look really pale. Is there anything that I can get you?"

She managed a weak smile as she shook her head.

"No, I'm alright now. I got nauseous all of a sudden, that's all. I'm probably not getting enough rest lately. I'm really okay now."

Her response sounded hopelessly feeble to her, but her tired mind had ran out of excuses for her irrational fears even as she tried to convince herself that he would be back safe and sound.

"You'll want to take care of yourself, 'Mam, when your husband comes back, you'll want to be in the best of health to receive him. Who knows, he might be on this very train!"

The optimism in his slightly raspy voice lifted her a little and she managed a small grin by way of thanks.

After steadying her and ensuring that she was just fine, he dashed back to the elevated strip as a familiar plume of bleak smoke billowed in the horizon.

It was too late to run away now. Elmyra stood rooted to the spot, her knees wobbly, knowing that all she could do was wait. There was a sudden chilling, horrible emptiness inside her as the train pulled up, still gushing steam as its wheels reverberated and came to a jarring halt.

The anticipation and the loathing she had felt earlier on was replaced by a dull resignation. She no longer hoped anymore. The niggling feeling that had been growing within her as the weeks passed was now hissing malevolently, proclaiming its victory with a steady chant of assurance that her waiting was futile. It could no longer be suppressed.

As the blinding light emanated from the train's carriages, washing out from the open door, excited loved ones surged forth as she stepped slowly back into the shadows. She would not stop waiting.

But it was for a man who would not return. For a dawn that refused to break.

A/N: So, how is it? Leave a review?


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